Dryckenskap och nykterhetsarbete i Karlstad 1927–1932 : En studie i nykterhetsnämndens verksamhet

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the study was to investigate the work of the temperance board in Karlstad during the interwar period and the crisis years when the economic depression affected Sweden, specifically around the year 1930. The focus was on the years 1927–1932, aiming to demonstrate a change in temperance efforts in the city of Karlstad. The study is qualitative with quantitative elements, and data were collected in numerical form to present the statistical findings. The examination involved a careful review of the minutes of the Karlstad City Council found in the annual report of the temperance board. Content analysis was employed to process the material, and the study aimed to answer the following questions: How did public sobriety vary in Karlstad from 1927 to 1932, and to what extent did documented alcohol offenses occur among individuals under 25 during the study period? The source material was analyzed using Anthony Giddens' structuration theory, based on the perspective of change presented by Helena Eriksson in her thesis "Population, Society, and Change." In the analysis section of this study, it is evident how alcohol-related offenses changed, with a noticeable shift from 1927 to 1932, showing a clear decrease in the number of arrests for such offenses during these years. It is also observed that the number of cases processed by the temperance board significantly decreased in 1930, 1931, and 1932. This, in turn, contributed to a noticeable decrease in individuals under 25 years old being apprehended for drunkenness.